A man who wants to get something done will find a way. Jesus says for us to come after Him, we must place a higher priority on what Jesus wants and not on what we want. To follow Jesus, our first priority is His kingdom and His righteousness. Consider if you are a follower of Jesus or just a fan. Being a fan is like being a football fan. A football fan is one that gets us and leaves when the team is losing. A follower sticks to Jesus in the good times and in the bad times. Jesus seeks us to put first His kingdom.

For the Christian, the Kingdom of God is the Church. Not a church building but the big “C” Church that all Christians are a part of. In the book of Ephesians, Paul says how much Jesus loves the Church. Jesus died for the Church because she, the Church, is His Bride. Jesus said husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. Jesus loved the Church and it is His body. Jesus wants us to be holy. Jesus is continually devoted to the task of making us what He wants us to be. We need to place this same value on the Church and live in harmony and be kind to one another.

The Bible says we are to be kind to one another, pray for one another, and seek the good of one another. You have to have an “another” to do all this anothering to. You cannot do all this and be alone. We have to be on the same team and find a way to make a difference in His Church. In this scripture, Jesus is looking for those who are available and obedient. He says if anyone will come after Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross daily and follow Him. Be willing to live your life in service to Jesus Christ.

A life withdraw from service to others loses its meaning. We Christians look forward to Jesus returning. We should be in service to Jesus while waiting for Him to come. We should serve Jesus and the Church like Jesus is coming back next year. If you knew He was coming back next year, wouldn’t you be doing more for the Kingdom of God? We need to open our eyes and feel the Spirit as it tells us how to serve the Lord.